1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to electrical connectors and more particularly to methods for making electrical connectors.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
In the manufacture of many types of electrical connectors, contacts are positioned in a mold after which the mold is filled with a suitable molding compound which is allowed to harden to form an insulative housing surrounding the contact. Referring, for example, to FIGS. 1a and 1b, the mold is shown generally at numeral 10 and has an upper die 12 and an opposed lower die 14. The mold also has an interior section 16 and an exterior section 18 with a connecting molding compound injection port 20. There is also a contact receiving aperture 22 in the base of the lower die 14. A conductive contact 24 is positioned in the contact and receiving aperture 22. The contact 24 has a vertical leg 26 with a contact terminal 28. It also has a horizontal leg 30 with an oblique section 32 and a terminal horizontal section 34.
Referring particularly to FIG. 1a, a molding compound is introduced to the interior 16 of the mold 10 through the injection port 20. At the beginning of the injection process, the molding compound begins to fill the interior 16 of the mold 10 around the lead contact 24. Referring particularly to FIG. 1b, however, as the interior 16 of the mold 10 begins to approach its capacity the pressure of the molding compound may cause the contact to be flexed and displace it from its original position. For example, in FIG. 1b, the front of the horizontal leg 30 as the contact 24 is flexed downwardly and molded compound enters the space 36 between the contact 24 and the upper die 12. Referring to FIG. 1c, the filling of the interior 16 of the mold 10 in the way shown in FIG. 1b may result in hardened molding compound 38 in position above the horizontal leg 30 in the completed connector. Referring to FIG. 1d, it may also be possible that hardened molding compound 40 may be superimposed over the inner side of the horizontal leg 30 so that the leg extends obliquely upwardly as is shown in FIG. 1d. Consequently there may be an undesirable defecit in coplanarity between the upper horizontal leg 30 of the contacts and the upper surface of the housing.
A need therefore exists for a way to improve molding procedures to reduce the incidents of lack of coplanarity between the upper horizontal leg of the contact and the upper surface of the housing.